Anti-clogging device



March 3, 1959' F. E. VAN DUSEN ET'AL 2,876,043

AN'IfI-CLOGGING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FREDERICK 5. MW 0155 By .foHN/i/V/c CA/v/v 7- TOENE KS March 1959 F. E. VAN DUSEN ET AL 2,876,043

' ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE Filed June 4,. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 L l G. 2

INVENTORS FREo RIc/rE. WNDl/sE/V y Jbb/NMMCCINN ATTOENEKS Mardl 1959' F. E. VAN DUTSEN ET AL 2,876,043

ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

INVENTORS FEEDER/(K5 KIA/fil/SEN 14 TTORNE K; Y

ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE.

' United States Patent Frederick E. Van Dusen, Wayzata, and John M. McCann,

Long Lake, Minn.; said Van McCann Application June 4, 1954, Serial No. 434,452 13 Claims. c1. soz -ss Dusen assignor to said This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an anti-clogging device of the type adapted to be positioned adjacent the entrance to a restricted conduit -or outlet through which material is adapted to be blown or impelled from a relatively larger enclosure. It more particularly relates to an anti-clogging device'comprising a rotary member adapted to be positioned adjacent the entrance to a restricted conduit through which chopped, fragmented, particled, shredded or fibrous hygro- "scopic organic material is to be passed from an enclosure of relatively larger dimension. In the conveying of chopped, shredded or other forms of fragmented organic material from an enclosure, container or housing of relatively larger dimension through a chute, passageway, outlet, or conduit of relatively smaller dimension, particularly where the material being conveyed is impelled, sucked or blown through said conduit and more particularly when said material comprises fragmented organic material which is water absorbent or naturally wet, there has long remained the problem that such material tends to clog the'conduit and particularly the entrance of the conduit adjacent the relatively larger housing, container or closer from which it emanates. This tendency is extreme when the material enters the conduit in a direction other thancongruent with the axis of the conduit.

This clogging has'been found to be especially severe and detrimental when organicmmaterial such as grass or entrance to aconduit of relatively smaller dimension, 'leading from an enclosure of relatively larger dimension for preventingthe accumulation or building up of fragmented material which would tend to obstruct further fiow through said conduit;

' It is a further object of this invention to provide a 4 rotary member adapted to be positioned at the entrance of a conduit of relatively smaller dimension leading from an enclosure ofrelativelylarger dimension through which fshredded, fragmented or fibrous organic material or the like is adapted to pass, whichmember operates to eliminate or retard the clogging terial;

of said conduit by said ma- It is a further object of this invention to provide an anti-clogging device adapted to be used for preventing the clogging of a restricted passageway by fragmented organic material having a relatively high moisture content;

Still another object of this invention resides in the profvision of an anti-clogging device adapted to be positioned at the entrance to a relatively restricted outlet emanating from a relatively larger enclosure through which ,chopped or shredded ,ensilage is adapted to be delivered; Another object: of the invention is the provision of a protary shaft positioned adjacentthe entrance of a conduit from a blower housing through which ensilage is adapted to be blown;

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a rotary shaft or post and cooperating scraper unit positioned in the blower outlet of a silo unloader;

Still other objects of the invention reside in the struc tural features of our rotary post and scraper and in the particular positioning of these elements and the cooperating drive for the rotary post;

Other and further objects of our invention are those inherent and apparent in the apparatus as described, illustrated and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but .a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

This invention will be described with reference to the drawings, forming a part of this application, in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partially in section, of a silo unloader in position for delivering ensilage from a silo and embodying the instant invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the instant invention taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of Figure 1, and 2- of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the silo unloader of Figure 1, but showing a modification of our invention;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6'is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of Figure 5; and

. Figure7 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7--7 of Figure 6, and showing our invention in position at the entrance of the outlet conduit of the silo unloader of Figure l.

Broadly speaking, our invention comprises rotary means positioned adjacent the entrance of a conduit leading from an enlarged housing for preventing the building up or massing of hygroscopic organic material or the like which is blown or impelled through this conduit.

While our invention will be explained with reference to a silo unloader, it is to be understood that this silo unloader forms no part of this invention per se and hence will not be explained in detail. It is to be understood that not only can our invention be utilized with other silo unloadersbut also that it can and is to be used at the entrance to any conduit leading from an enlarged housing for preventing the building up or massing of hygroscopic material, or the like.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a silo unloader 10 comprising an enlarged housing 11 comprising a scroll-like enclosure formed from two cooperating halves 12 and 13 secured together throughout their periphery by a plurality of bolts 14 through apertures in spaced lugs 15. The cooperating halves 12 and 13 provide an outlet 16of circular vertical cross-section leading to a flexible discharge chute or tube 18. The outlet 16 and the flexible member 18 thus provide a conduit from the relatively larger enclosure 11.

In the particular apparatus .shown in Figure 1, co-

"operating half 13 is provided'withan annular ring 19 through which the reduced portion 48 extends.

v securedthereto by a plurality of bolts 20 which serves to support an intake hub 21 which may be rotated with reference to the annular ring 20, ring 20 and intake hub each being provided with cooperating machined faces "as seen in Figure 1.

The hub.21 in turn supports a collecting means generally designated 22, in this case comprising a horizontal auger 23',a wall wheel24 for engaging the wall W of a conventional circular silo and a 'wall cutter 25. Means is provided for driving the horizontal auger 23 for gathering ensilage from the surface of the ensilage E in the silo and also for rotating the augerabout a vertical axis over the surface of the ensilage for collecting ensilage. As the ensilage is gathered toward the center of the silo by the rotation of auger 23, it is fed into hub 21 and there engaged by a vertical impeller 26 for elevating it into housing 11. The silo unloader in this instance is suspended by a cable 28. One end of the cable 28 is fastened adjacent the center of the roof of the silo and the other end is attached. to an unloading device generally designated 29. A motor 30 is positioned on a pedestal 31' "on top of housing 11 and is provided with a central shaft 32. The central shaft not only serves to rotate the impeller 26 which is pinned thereto but also a fan 34 which serves to blow ensilage through the outlet 16 and discharge member 18. Thus, as ensilage is gathered by any suitable means and drawn into the enlarged housing 11, it is impelled by the blades 35 of the fan 34 through the conduit 16-48; As will be appreciated with referen'ce to Figures 3 and 6, the blades 35 rotate in the direction of the arrow 38. Ensilage is impelled by these blades through the conduit 16--18, tangentially from the blades 35 in the direction of the arrows 39. It will thus be seen that ensilage will tend to strike the wall 40 of outlet 16 but not to strike the wall 41.

We have found that by insertion of our rotary post 45 in the position shown in Figure 6 adjacent the juncture of wall 40 with enclosure 11, and preferably in cooperation with our scraper 46 that the accumulation of material is prevented.

Turning now to Figures 2 and 3, my rotary post 45 comprises a machined cylindrical surface having a reduced portion 48 to the extreme end of which is keyed or otherwise suitably secured a V-belt pulley 49. An aperture 50 is provided in the member 12 of housing 11 A bearing 51 is'held in position in bearing block 52 which is suitably secured to the top of member 11 by a plurality of cap screws 53.

Around the V-belt pulley 49 is passed a V-belt 54 which is driven by a second V-belt pulley 55, Figure l, secured to shaft 32. The V-belt pulley 55 may be secured to shaft 32 by a set screw, be keyed thereto or secured by other suitable means. In some instances, the pulley 55 may be a split V-belt pulley so that cooperating halves may be placed in position around shaft 32 and then secured thereto, if desired.

Likewise, it is to be understood that in some instances the reduced portion 48 of post 45 may be separate from post 45 and may be secured thereto by a set screw or other conventional means wherever disassembly is required. Thus, it will be seen that as shaft 32 and consequently fan 34 is rotated in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 3, the V-belt pulley 55 will be driven from shaft 32, driving V-belt 54 and pulley 49 to rotate 'post 45 in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3. Thus, as material is tangentially impelled in the direction of arrows 39, material will strike post 45 instead of the wall 40 and its juncture with housing 11 and consequently will be thrown by the rotating periphery of post 45 into the chute 18 through whence it is blown by fan 34.

While our rotating post works satisfactorily in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3, it'is preferred that a 'icraperplate'46 of'thefconfiguration sh'ownbest in Figure 6 be utilized to provide a further guide for directing material which impinges upon post 45 out into the mainstream of flow of material through conduit 18. Scraper plate 46 is of the configuration shown best in Figures 6 and 7 and is provided with a hooked end 61 which is slipped in back of post 45 to maintain the plate in position. The other end of plate 46 is provided with a tab 62 which is slipped between the members 12 and 13 at wall 40. Thus as members 12 and 13 are drawn together by bolts 14, the tab 62 will be frictionally engaged by the cooperating edges of members 12 and 13 and retained in position as shown in Figure 6. As will be appreciated with reference to Figures 1-7, the housing 11 is substantially square in vertical cross-section, but the outlet 16 is substantially circular in vertical cross-section. For this reason, to cooperate with the top and bottom walls of the housing 11 and with the top and bottom of the outlet 16 the member 46 is flanged at its portion 63 adjacent the rotary post 45.

The scraper may be used with the modification shown in Figures 1-3 or the modification shown in Figures 4-7.

The modification shown in Figures 4-7 is identical with that shown in Figures 1-3, with the exception that it is provided with its own motor 70 which, through a conventional speed reduction gearing 71 drives the reduced end 48 of post 45. The motor 70 is mounted upon a mounting plate 71 by a plurality of bolts 72. Mounting plate 71 is provided with a pair of support rods 73 which are strengthened by gussets 74. Rods 73, as shown in Figure 4, are positioned in two adjacent lugs 15 for the housing 11 and threaded on the end thereof is a pair of nuts 75 which draw the cooperating members 12 and 13 together.

The motor 70 is energized by a suitable source of electricity as is the motor 10 and the reduction gearing 51 is so arranged that the shaft 45 rotates in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3.

We have further found that if desired, an aperture may be provided in member 13 of housing 11 similar to aperture 50 for member 12 and cooperating therewith and a second bearing may be used to support the end 78 of post 45.

As many widely diflering embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is understood that we do not specifically limit ourselves to the embodiment disclosed herein.

What we claim is:

1. In an apparatus for conveying material in combination with a chamber having a substantially tangential outlet of restricted dimension, one wall portion of said outlet forming an obtuse angle with the wall of said chamber, and another wall portion of said outlet forming an acute angle with the wall of said chamber, means for propelling material through said outlet from said chamber, the improvement comprising a rotary member jpo'sitioned adjacent the wall portion of said outlet providing an acute angle with the wall of said chamber and substantially adjacent the juncture of said wall portion with the wall of said chamber, said rotary member having an elongated extension and a substantially circular periphery and means for rotating said rotary member in a direction whereby the portion of said circular periphery spaced furthermost from said wall portion will rotate in a direction to convey material through said outlet.

2. The apparatus of. claim 1 further characterized in that said means for propelling material tangentially through said outlet comprises a rotary means, said rotary means .having a periphery rotating in a direction whereby material propelled therefrom will enter said outlet substantially parallel to the wall portion of said outlet forming said acute anglewith said chamber. 1

3. .The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said means for propelling material tangentially through said outlet comprises a rotary means, and said rotarymeanshaving a peripherylrotati'ng in] the same direction as the'periphery' of said rotary member. g

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by a spaced bathe means positioned in cooperation with said rotary member and having an initial edge positioned substantially adjacent the rotary member throughout substantially its extension and adjacent the portion of said circular periphery spaced iurthermost from said wall portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by a baflle mechanism positioned adjacent said rotary member providing a partition substantially spaced away from the wall of said conduit throughout at least a portion thereof.

6. In combination with a conveying apparatus comprising a relatively large chamber of substantially circular periphery having a conduit of relatively restricted cross-sectional area leading therefrom through which material from said chamber is adapted to be expelled, rotary impeller means positioned for rotation about an axis substantially congruent with the axis of said circular periphery of said chamber adapted to impel material from said chamber through said conduit, the improvement comprising a rotary member positioned adjacent a juncture of said conduit with said chamber, said rotary member having a substantially circular periphery and means for rotating said rotary member so that the portion of said periphery spaced furthermost from said juncture will rotate in a direction to impel material impinging thereon through said conduit and a bafiie means positioned for cooperation with said rotary member providing a partition substantially spaced away from the wall of said conduit throughout at least a portion thereof and an initial edge substantially adjacent the peripheral portion of said rotary member spaced furthermost from said conduit.

7. In a conveyor apparatus comprising a scroll chamber having a configuration substantially that of a section of a right circular cylinder, the diameter of said section being susbtantially larger than the height of said section, a tangential outlet leading from said chamber having one wall portion forming an acute angle with the wall of said chamber and a second wall portion forming an obtuse angle with the wall of said chamber, said chamberbeing comprised of two cooperating halves divided substantially on a median plane passed through said cylindrical section, one of said halves comprising a top and the other of said halves comprising a bottom half and the bottom half having a central opening through which material is adapted to be received, means for securing said cooperating halves together, a rotary paddle impeller journalled for rotation about an axis substantially concentric with the axis of said cylindrical section rotating in a direction so that its peripheral portion travels from a position adjacent the wall of the chamber joining the wall portion of said tangential outlet forming said obtuse angle to a position adjacent the wall of the chamber joined to said wall portion of said conduit and forming an acute angle, a rotary post having an elongated relatively smooth cylindrical surface positioned for rotation about an axis substantially in the same vertical plane as the axis of rotation of said impeller, and in the same direction of rotation positioned adjacent the juncture of said wall portion of said conduit and the wall of said chamber forming said acute angle, means for rotating said member, a baflle means positioned adjacent said rotary member and providing a partition substantially spaced away from the wall of said conduit, said bafiie means having a rounded L-shaped portion positioned between the periphery of said rotary member and the adjacent wall portion of the conduit and having a planar surface having an initial edge positioned substantially adjacent the peripheral portion of said rotary member furthermost spaced from said wall, said edge extending substantially throughout the elongation of said rotary member parallel to the axis of rotation of'said member, said planar surface being positioned at a slanting direction with reference to said wall portionpof said conduit adjacent said rotary member, a supporting member extending at right angles to said planar member and positioned between the two cooperating'halves of said conduit and means joiningthe cooperating halves of said chamber and said conduit where-- by said supporting member for said planar surface will be gripped therebetween and said planar surfacelbeing "so' positioned with respect to the wall of said conduit adjacent to said rotary member that a line-drawn there through and forming an extension :thereof forms an acute angle with said wall. g

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further characterized by means connecting said rotary member to said impeller for simultaneous rotation therewith.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further characterized by said outlet having a vertical cross-section of substantially circular configuration and said chamber having a vertical cross-section of substantially oval, cross-section with the major axis of said oval cross-section lying in a horizontal plane and said planar member having a vertical dimension at its initial edge greater than the vertical dimension of its terminal edge for cooperation with said chamber and said conduit.

10. In an apparatus for conveying hygroscopic material includirig a substantially cylindrical chamber having a substantially tangential outlet of restricted dimension forming a conduit; one wall portion of said outlet conduit forming an obtuse angle with the wall of said chamber and another wall portion of said outlet conduit forming an acute angle with the wall of said chamber; a rotor means in said chamber for propelling material through said outlet from said chamber; said rotor means rotating in a direction from said obtuse angle to said acute angle; a rotary post means positioned interior of said outlet conduit and adjacent the wall portion of the outlet pro viding said acute angle with the wall of said chamber, and substantially at its juncture therewith, and rotatable with reference to said wall for preventing substantial accumulation of material on said wall to preclude clogging of said tangential outlet.

11. In combination, a rotary impeller having tip means inscribing a peripheral path of rotation, means forming a chamber in which said impeller is journalled for rotation, said chamber having an entrance whereby material may be admitted for engagement with said impeller, a conduit of restricted dimension connected to said chamber, said chamber communicating therewith for discharging material impelled by said impeller therethrough, said impeller being journalled for rotation so that said tip means will rotate from one side to the other side of said conduit in a given peripheral path, a rotary post means positioned within and immediately adjacent said other side of said conduit and at the juncture thereof with said means forming a chamber, and the extension of said one side of said conduit being substantially tangential to said peripheral path.

12. In an apparatus for conveying material in combination with, a chamber having a substantially tangential outlet of restricted dimension, one wall portion of said outlet forming an obtuse angle with the wall of said chamber and another wall portion of said outlet forming an acute angle with the wall of said chamber, means for propelling material through said outlet from said chamber, the improvement comprising rotary post means positioned within said outlet and adjacent the wall portion of said outlet providing an acute angle with the wall of said chamber and substantially adjacent the juncture of said wall portion with the wall of said chamber.

13. In an apparatus for conveying material in combination with a chamber having a tangential outlet of restricted dimension, one wall portion of said outlet forming an obtuse angle with the wall of said chamber, another wall portion of said outlet forming an acute angle with the wall of said chamber, means for propelling matria hrough said out et rom. sa d chamb r, he p o e mt of a, rota y membe positioned. ithin. and adja ent thea l. Por n of said outl t prov n an acute anglewith the wall of said chamber and substantially adjacent the juncture of said wall portion with the wall of said'ichamber, and having an end extending therefrom, said means for propelling material. through said outlet comprising a second rotary rnember and a driving connection exterior of said conduit con cting said. firs nd second rotary members for simultaneous rotation.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,174,224 Blackmon 8 alla --t-t- Q t- 1.9 .4 vCi flrdfll ar- 2 ,193 Buck m an.- 0 9 Na y Q 3 1.9 3 e i ---a- --.-.-V. D 0,v 1 

